George Perez. Highs and Lows?

[samurainoir]

Many of us in these parts are big fans of Perez, but other than his obsessiveness with detail that results in a slower working process, I don't think there is much in the way of loud complaints about the quality of his stuff is there?

I might not be into the characters or concepts when he goes off and works on projects at CrossGen or Tekno Comics, but he always seems to bring his A-Game no matter where he lands. I thought his Ultraverse run was hugely underrated.

For me his lowest point was his inability to launch his creator owned Crimson Plague into anything coherent, but I think that would be directed at Perez the writer rather than Perez the artist. Despite the "Where's Waldo" obsessive indulgence of trying to cram in every friend and acquataince into the cast and cameos, the art was still pretty solid.

I also think the Where's Waldo factor might have overwhelmed Avengers/JLA as well.

My favourite Perez books are his collaborations with Peter David. The Hulk Future Imperfect, and Sax and Violens both seemed to re-energize him after the War of the Gods misfire (again more a weakness of Perez-the-writer than artist).

[Random Axe]

Crisis on Infinte Earths really set the benchmark for his career and he hasn't been better since. I loved his run on Avengers in the early 80's and his work with Wolfman on Titans. He truly is a comic legend and perhaps the best ever when you look at his entire catalog of work.

I still have yet to pick up Avengers/JLA, but it's on my post MegoMeet shopping list.

Scott

[bobws]

George has long been my Favorite artist. as a matter of fact is was george coming onto JLA in the New Gods story that made me start looking at the creator credits in comics. i was like who drew this issue sure isn't who drew the last issue! then i found out who and why. i have been a big fan ever since. i just wish his detail work didn't mean so much slower work so that now he can no longer work on a regular series anymore. He probably should just be used on well timed mini series or 3 to 4 issues, once or twice a year. then give him some covers as well.
i liked JLA/Avengers and boy did he throw in everything he could, but i wanted more! i figures this would be the last great company crossover and somewhere it would of been nice to throw in every character the both companies to make this an untouchable achievement. i know, wishful thinking, but it would have rocked that much more with cameos of all the X-Men, Titans, JSAers, Defenders.
I still look forward to his work, like the end of legion of 3 worlds issue 5 in about a month. now if i could just meet the man and get a commission(Yeah Right!)

[Earth 2 Chris]

George is definitely my favorite artist still working in comics. And a heck of a nice and gracious guy to boot. I have a very nice Nightwing head sketch he did for me, with all proceeds going to charity. I gave more than he was asking, and was more than happy to do it!

I think his highs are still coming. He's one of the few artists whose style has evolved in a way that I think most find appealing. His anatomy, storytelling, and characterization have all improved with time. New Teen Titans was were he really advanced from exciting comic artist to comic art master, I think. His stuff has evolved since, but that's where he really came into his own.

His low was probably not being able to finish "The Infinity Gauntlet". That was a huge deal for Marvel to get him back, and he fell way behind and Ron Lim had to step into finish it. Nothing against Lim, but he's no George. He was very open about how that hurt his rep, and was out to make ammends by sticking out projects and asking for longer lead times to get the detail in he demands.

Chris

[madmarva]

Perez remains one of my favorites. He seems to make every character his own. I know it's late, but every issue of the Legion series has looked great.

I first noticed his work on Avengers and Fantastic Four. Comparing his work to it now, it looks awkward and rough, but there was something appealing about it. I loved the X-Men annual he did (maybe No. 4) based on Dante's Inferno. A truly rare treat — a stand-alone X-men story.

But he really came into his own when he moved to DC. The JLA stuff was great, as was his covers for Green Lantern and of course Titans and Crisis.

I treasure the JLA postcard set he did. The league never looked better.

I also liked his short run on Action Comics. His Avengers with Busiek was very nice too

[rcbats1]

George has been my favorite artist for a long, long time...but I do have to say, as an artist myself....that I believe George's work in the early 80's and 90's is his best work. I know his art is appears better now to some...but back in those days...he was trying to prove something and his art was fresh and new. We had never seen anyone like George in those days.
His art to me is very nice now...but nothing like it was when he was doing the 1st Titans and those pages from the 1st JLA/Avengers try...man, those were/are the bomb!....if only.

Mitch

[The Toyroom]

My favorite Perez stuff is the early Teen Titans stuff, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Avengers/JLA, Brave and the Bold and Legion of 3 Worlds. As for lows, I'd hafta say anything done for the independents. And even though I bought most of his run on Wonder Woman, I can't say it's one of my favorite works of his....perhaps that's because he was writing the book also. George's strength of course is his artwork and when he is paired up with a great writer who can play to his strengths of large cast: Wolfman on Titans and Crisis, Busiek on Avengers and JLA/Avengers and Johns on Legion.

[thunderbolt]

I'd say tanking on the Infinity Gauntlet was his biggest flop. Too bad, it was looking interesting, too. I dropped it when Lim showed up, it was too jarring a change and the book seemed to lose something with the change,

[Earth 2 Chris]

Lim is okay, but it always bothered me that almost every single panel he drew had everyone at a 3/4 angle. With the same gritting teeth and jutted chin. Against George, who draws everyone's face different that was a HUGE change.

Chris

[samurainoir]

I remember my huge disappointment of picking up that issue of Infinity Gauntlet and realizing that Ron Lim was drawing it. Not a knock at Lim, I still think he's the definitive Badger artist in my eyes (and Ex Mutants was kind of a guilty pleasure).

It just that the promise of Perez doing his "Crisis on Infinite Earths" style jam at Marvel was so abruptly cut off.

Still love this cover and the lure of the Perez goodness that was supposed to follow through to the conclusion.


Although given all the "Infinity" series that followed afterwards, perhaps Perez did get off the ship at the right time? Remember all those evil dopplegangers running around every title of the Marvel U?

I guess it was kind of a one-two punch of disappointment from Perez when you factor in this one within the same year...


Don't get me wrong, the art is still gorgeous, but I guess my expectations were set so high after New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths.

[samurainoir]

Speaking of the "Infinity" Gems, here's a diamond in the rough that loosely spun out of all that...



written by Warren Ellis. Based on this one issue, I wish the two of them had worked together on Ultraverse more. The collaboration between the two of them was definitely worth more than the sum of the parts when you compare their two separate runs where they were working with other partners.